Create a vector-based smartphone in Photoshop

Apple products get a lot of attention from the design industry, so let’s take another route and create a flat version of the HTC One Smartphone. We are going to create one in just 12 steps! You can download the source file while you follow along:

Note that we’re going to only us vector shapes in Photoshop, so you can resize it to any dimension without distorting it.

Let’s get started!

1. Make a new canvas of 1200 x 1600 pixels and fill it with the Paint Bucket tool with the following color code #20ade1.

2. Select the Rounded Rectangle tool and click once on the canvas. Make sure you have ‘Align Edges’ checked. Enter the following:

Width: 680 px

Height: 1350 px

Border radius: 70 px

3. Press Ctrl+A and align horizontal and vertical centers by using the tools up top. Then use Ctrl+D to deselect.

4. Double click on the layers thumbnail and change its color code to: #d6d6d6. Also rename the layer to ‘outer stroke‘.

5. Use Ctrl+J to duplicate and if you have Photoshop CC, open up the Live Shape Properties panel and insert the following:

W: from 680 to 670 px

H: from 1350 to 1340 px

Then double click its thumbnail and change its color code to pure white: #ffffff. Next use Ctrl+A and align both vertical and horizontal centers.

You should now have 5 pixels on each side.

Alternative for CS6 or previous versions

Get the Direct Selection tool and deselect all the points (if any are selected) by pressing Enter.

Then select 2 points from a corner and with the help of SHIFT you’ll do the same for the other corner.

Use SHIFT+arrow key to move the 4 points by 10 pixels towards the inside. Press Enter and do the same for the other 4 points. After that is done, use Ctrl+A and align the horizontal and vertical centers with the help of the alignment tools from up top. Rename this ‘base‘.

6. The inner screen will be created with the Rectangle tool. Click once and put in these numbers:

Width: 670 px

Height: 1150 px

Double click its thumbnail and change its color to: #2d2d2d and then align the horizontal and vertical centers. Rename it to ‘screen’.

7. For the interior screen we’ll do the same thing. Get the Rectangle tool and click once:

Width: 640 px

Height: 1035 px

Double click on its thumbnail to change the color code to: #646464.

Press Ctrl+A and align the horizontal centers. Now move it manually at the top of the layer named ‘screen’ and use Shift + Down Arrow Key 3 times. This is our inner screen and we’ll rename it just that.

8. For the speakers, we’ll get the Ellipsetool, click once and put 5 pixels in each box. Change its color to pure black #000000.

Use Ctrl+J and make a copy, move it just above our initial shape and press the Up Arrow key 3 times.

Repeat until you have 4 circles. Select them all from the layers panel and press Ctrl+E to merge them into one new layer.

Now the fun part. We need to have 48 of these layers in total. Use Ctrl+J and manually move the new layer 3 pixels to the right. Select both layers and merge with Ctrl+E. Duplicate the new layer with Ctrl+J or hold down the ALT key and drag. Remember we need 3 pixels distance. Do this again and now we’ll have 3 layers in total with these dots.

Select and merge them. Now we have a new layer with 6 columns. Duplicate, reposition and merge and now we have 12. Repeat until you have 48.

Now use Ctrl+A and align the horizontal centers. This is so our new layer with 48 columns will stand exactly in the center of the phone. One last step before renaming: move this new layer down so it touches the layer named ‘screen’. Then use Shift+Up Arrow key twice to get 20 pixels spacing. Now rename the layer ‘speakers’.

9. For the camera we’ll use a series of ellipses:

45×45 with the color code: #222222

27×27 with the color code: #333333

19×19 with the color code: #515151

9×9 with the color code: #6d6d6d

Select all of these layers and align their horizontal and vertical centers. Then use Ctrl+G to group them and rename that folder to ‘camera’.

Make sure you have your Smart Guides turned on by going to View > Show > Smart Guides. Now move your camera folder so it’s centered with the speakers layer vertically. A line should appear letting you know when you’re centered. Distance-wise you should leave 40 pixels from the speakers to your camera lens. Move it so it touches the dots from the speaker and then use Shift+Right Arrow key4 times.

10. On the left side of the speakers we should have 2 ellipses. Their size should be 16×16. After you make the initial one, make a copy with Ctrl+J and move with Shift+an arrow key once so you’ll have 10 pixels spacing. Merge them with Ctrl+E and make them pure black. In relation to the dots from the speaker, our two circles should be in the centered vertically and 25 pixels away.

Rename the layer ‘2things’ since I don’t know what they actually are.

11. For the receiver we simply need to get the speakers layer, hold down Alt+Shift and drag. Once you’ve hit the bottom of the layer named ‘screen’ you can let go. Then use Shift+Down Arrow key twice and we’re good to go. Rename the layer ‘receiver’. It actually might be another speaker, I really don’t know, I have a Samsung S4 🙂

12. Lastly, we’ll add two icons at the bottom of the screen. For the left icon, select the Line tool and set its weight to 3 pixels. Now drag diagonally around 18 pixels and let go. Duplicate with Ctrl+J and now press Ctrl+T, right click, flip vertical. Move it down, select both layers and use Ctrl+E to merge.

Change its color code to: #c9c9c9. Position it on the left of the speaker with the help of your Smart Guides.

To align it vertically we’ll use the Rectangular Marquee tool. Make a selection of the black screen, press ‘V’ for the Move tool and align it vertically. Rename it to ‘left icon’.

For the other symbol we’ll use the Line tool again with the weight set at 3 pixels. First draw a 20 pixel line. Then go to an edge and make a new line by going up 12-13 pixels. Next drag a diagonal line towards the center. Now repeat for the other side. After you’re happy with how they look, merge all the layers with Ctrl+E. The color code should be #c9c9c9.

Position it to the edge of the ‘receiver‘ layer and use the Rectangular Marquee tool, Move tool and Align Vertical Center to align it vertically. Finally rename it to ‘right icon’.

And we’re done!

Optionally, you can select all the layers in the layers panel and group them into one big folder named ‘phone’.

And that’s it! In only 12 steps we’ve managed to create a nice, simple, flat smartphone. All we used were vector shapes so you can make it as big as life and it will still look crisp. Have fun with it and remember to share it with the world. Here is the downloadable flat vector-based source file (.psd).

Have any questions about this tutorial?

The author

Barin Cristian Doru aka 'thislooksgreat' is an experienced web designer and proud member of the 99designs community: http://99designs.com/people/thislooksgreat
Besides creating awesome website designs, he is also an entrepreneur, an Android App Developer and a content creator. His work ranges from freebie PSD files to small tips & tricks in Photoshop, all the way to a premium 16 hour long course on how to succeed on 99designs.